Good news, hardcore cheese fans! There is a new study by the University of Michigan that suggest cheese can actually kill cancer cells!
Nisin-a peptide born from the bacteria Lactococcus lactis found in dairy products, especially in cheese like cheddar, Brie, and Camembert cheeses and also in some processed meats, "dramatically reduced tumors in mice". As published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, the researchers concluded that the preservative called Nisin killed between 70 to 80 percent of cancer cells in just nine weeks.
As the method of experimentation, the scientists feed the mice "nisin milkshakes", that contained highly purified and concentrated version of the preservative. These milkshake is about 20 times more than what is typically found in food. If consumed by humans, this amount of Nisin would be like taking 20-30 Advil-sized tablets.
Nonetheless, researchers say that Nisin "delivers a one-two punch to two of medicine's most lethal maladies: cancer and deadly, antibiotic-resistant bacteria." Meaning this preservative has the potential to make wonders to the human body
Why is NIsin effective? Nisin binds to a static area of bacteria, giving it the opportunity to start working before the bacteria can pump up its defense and morph into an antibiotic-resistant superbug. The preservative also kills colonies of bacteria that group together and eventually form a Additionally, nisin kills colonies of bacteria that would otherwise group together and form a fortress bond that destroys antibiotics in the body.
But, the researchers warned the public about possibly munching Nisin Tablets and loading up on cheese wheels, their findings are extremely preliminary. "While promising, the results are small and in mice only, so it's too early to say if nisin will act the same way in humans," said Dr. Yvonne Kapila, professor at the university's school of dentistry.
Researchers would conduct clinical trials to further prove the effectiveness of the newly discovered benefits of the said preservative that could eventually lead to the invention of cures for cancer and other deadly diseases.
